PUTRAJAYA (Malaysia), May 18 (NNN-Bernama) — Malaysia’s Deputy Foreign Minister Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar will undertake working visits to Uzbekistan from May 19 to 21 and Kazakhstan from May 22 to 25.
The Foreign Ministry (Wisma Putra) in a statement on Wednesday said in Uzbekistan, Kamarudin is scheduled to meet the country’s Deputy Minister of Foreign Trade and Investment, Acting Foreign Minister as well as the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
In Kazakhstan, he is scheduled to meet the Deputy Prime Minister (Trade and Integration Minister) and Chairman of the Committee on International Affairs and Defence.
Wisma Putra said the visits will focus on strengthening further the existing mutually beneficial collaboration between Malaysia and the two countries as well as exploring new strategic areas in trade and investment, education, culture, tourism, technical cooperation assistance and health cooperation.
“It will also provide an opportunity for Malaysia to exchange views on regional and international issues of mutual concern,” the statement read.
The year 2022 also marks the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between Malaysia and the two nations.
According to Wisma Putra, for the period of January to October 2021, Kazakhstan was Malaysia’s largest trading partner in Central Asia with the total trade at RM359.79 million (US$81.9 million) while Uzbekistan was the second largest trading partner with the total trade amount of RM187.82 million (US$42.9 million) for the corresponding period.